Algeria to Reopen Airspace for Moroccan Airline Amid CAF Agreement

Algeria is backed into a corner. Following the agreement signed between the African Football Confederation (CAF) and the national airline Royal Air Maroc (RAM), which makes it the official and exclusive carrier for all competitions organized by CAF, it must open its airspace to Morocco. Otherwise, it could be excluded from tournaments organized by CAF. It could also lose part of the revenue from television rights. This agreement must also be respected by the other 53 member countries of CAF. All these countries must facilitate RAM’s air operations, namely transporting delegations, players, and supporters during tournaments under the Confederation’s jurisdiction.

"This agreement is a historic moment for African football," said Patrice Motsepe, CAF president, during its signing last Saturday. According to him, this project will help better connect the 54 member countries and will allow the next edition of the African Cup of Nations, of which Morocco is the host country, to break all records in terms of attendance and quality of organization. He also thanked Morocco for the considerable progress made in recent years, particularly highlighting the work on the Hassan II Stadium in Casablanca, which will become one of the five stadiums in the world capable of hosting more than 100,000 spectators, with a capacity of 115,000 seats.

In the eyes of Motsepe and CAF, football is a perfect integration tool, because, even implicitly, it contributes to improving diplomatic relations.

"The alliance with CAF not only has commercial value, it is part of a broader vision, supported by King Mohammed VI, which aims to strengthen ties between African countries through cooperation and mobility," said Abdelhamid Addou, president of Royal Air Maroc (RAM). He also announced a series of measures that will apply to supporters wishing to travel to Morocco to support their country. These include reduced fares, direct connections with major cities on the continent, and facilities for the stay in Morocco of supporters living abroad. African communities living in Europe, America, and the Middle East will also benefit from these measures.